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Poll: Majority would blame both sides equally if talks fail

A new poll finds that a majority of voters would blame both President Obama and congressional Republicans equally if efforts to find a deficit deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff” fail.

Fifty-six percent surveyed in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll say both sides would be responsible if a compromise is not reached. Nineteen percent would blame Obama and Democrats only, with 24 percent saying the GOP would be at fault.

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Those numbers could suggest a shift in public opinion as both parties work to find a way to prevent tax rate hikes and automatic spending cuts from taking effect in January.

A Washington Post/Pew Research survey released last week found 53 percent would blame Republicans, with 27 faulting the president. Twelve percent in that poll said blame should be equally apportioned. And a CNN/ORC poll last month found 45 percent saying Republicans would be responsible if there was no accord, with 34 tabbing Obama.

But voters in the new WSJ/NBC poll also give the president a strong review in talks, with Obama holding a 53 percent approval rating. Forty-three percent disapprove of the president’s overall job performance.

On the issue of taxes, 59 percent say Obama received a mandate in the election to eliminate Bush-era tax rates for those making over $250,000 a year, with 36 percent saying he didn’t receive such a mandate.

Republicans want to extend the expiring tax rates across the board, but Obama has said he will reject any deal that does not raise rates on the top 2 percent of income earners.

Voters are also split on the likelihood that a deal will be reached, with 48 percent pessimistic about the outlook and 48 percent optimistic.